What are you reading?

[Curegirl]

I seriously love you guys...now I don't feel bad that I'm actually reading a Sweet Valley but telling my kids I'm reading Shakespeare

And Nancy Drew is amaaaazing! No one can mess with a titian blonde with cute clothes, two bitchin' homies, and a blue roadster.

[Michele]

I read a lot of paranormal fiction. The Hollows series is my current favorite.

[HouseofWool]

Meenah - if you like James Patterson, you might also like the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

DS's entire grade has been given a reading challenge, one of which is to read several Newberry books. I've just finished reading, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Bridge to Terabithia (I think I cried more this them than any other time I've read it), The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and a new one by Neil Gaiman called Graveyard Book. Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, Stardust was exquisite. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm is up next.

I also just finished Bone River by Megan Chance, a sad, haunting book that once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down.

[poky]

HoW - LOVED Graveyard Book (and Stardust, too). If your son liked that, he might like Odd and the Frost Giants (it's VERY short, but quite good).
LSW - I read through the entire Discworld series in 2011. Loved it all, but the Mac Feegles are particularly great. I think Night Watch was my favorite Discworld overall, for the sheer emotional depth - you kinda have to have read at least the rest of the ones about the watch to really get the full impact, though.

I'm currently reading 1963, and the suspense is killing me. Before that, I went on a Hugh Howey kick, and blew through almost everything he's published (haven't caught up on the latest Wool, yet); very impressed with his use of language.

[Liisi]

Oh so many great books!! I was big into Nancy Drew when I was a kid, and I especially loved the Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys Super Mysteries! (Yes, cheesy!) Also loved Boxcar Children, Little House series, Anne of Green Gables, anything by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and Mary Downing Hahn, etc. And I read way too many Babysitter's Club books...

And now I still love YA books. I will definitely have to check out Alan Bradley's series! I recently read Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes, by Lauren Child - it's a new YA mystery series and it's awesome. I especially love YA novels with strong female protagonists.

Re: audio books, I recently listened to "Room," that disturbing novel about a woman who is abducted by a sexual predator and held captive in a garden-shed-turned-into-one-room-"home," where she gives birth to a son and tries to raise him well in that one room. It was compelling, in the sense that it was hard to stop listening and I wanted desperately for them to escape, but I can't say I "enjoyed" such a disturbing thing.

I'm currently reading a big stack of books by and about Rachel Carson -
Silent Spring
Always, Rachel: the Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman 1952 to 1964
On a Farther Shore: the Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson

[L.Jane]

those of you who like YA fantasy, I really liked the Graceling series http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...3839259/sr=1-1

[SoonerTexan]

Death Rides the Sky...nonfiction about the 1925 Tri-state tornado. Satisfies my weather and history needs. Fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

In 2010 Bill Paxton got me in a tizzy by mentioning he wanted to make a sequel to Twister focusing on the lore of the 1925 tornado. I'm still waiting Mr Paxton.

[bokelley]

Death Rides the Sky...nonfiction about the 1925 Tri-state tornado. Satisfies my weather and history needs. Fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

I knew I loved you. One of my favs.

[ladymoreta]

I'm in a nonfiction rut, and I need to plow through so I can read something fun!

I'm currently reading Millionare Next Door, which is simultaneously motivating me and making me feel like it's hopeless. I'm also reading It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It. It's good to read since I'd like to get more involved in our church eventually, but it's written by my previous pastor, and it turns out I've already heard most of the stories that are in there for comic relief, so it's a slow read.

[HouseofWool]

I went to the library yesterday with the intent of checking out some of the books in this post and every one that I looked for was not on the shelf...

So, I've started reading Angelology by Danielle Trussonni. She graduated a year ahead of me in high school and the book has gotten good reviews.

[WolfpackWife]

I know this is off-topic slightly but all of the comments about YA and/or Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, etc prompted me to share all the books I bought yesterday.

After our good friends had their son last August, I decided that our go-to baby gift was going to be a "starter library". So we created a great book basket for them containing books that he could enjoy from infancy (the hard ones they can chew on), all the way into elementary school and beyond possibly. Since reading was a HUGE HUGE part of my childhood, I felt like I should pass that on in the form of a "starter library" for these kids and even though they may not be able to read some of these chapter books until they are 6-12, they are at least there for them to enjoy someday. I felt like maybe I was getting him something that he could use for a long time as opposed to the registered-for infant outfits that would only be used for a few months.

So...yesterday I went shopping for a "stater library" book basket for my cousin's baby girl who is due in June. Between the two baskets, these are a few of the highlights that DH and I have given in these gifts so far...all of these are books that we LOVED growing up. I told DH "this is our 'thing' now...we give the gift of reading. We're not going to buy off of registries any more...they get plenty of that stuff". I also try to go a little off the beaten path because I know so many people gift baby books, or "Goodnight Moon" or "The Very Hungry Catepillar". I love giving these books because they actually mean something to me and play a huge role in my memories from childhood and learning to read. I spent an hour in the kids section of B&N yesterday. Some highlights are (from both the baskets we've put together so far):

Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, Amelia Bedelia, Angelina Ballerina, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Are You My Mother?, A Fish Out of Water, Nate the Great, Clifford the Big Red Dog (several books from the CTBRD series, but always the first Clifford book), The Berenstain Bears (some of our faves that we try to include are: Too Much Junk Food, The Messy Room, Too Much TV, Get the Gimmes, and a few others I can't think of), Spot Bakes a Cake, How to Eat Fried Worms, Harriet the Spy, Henry & Ribsy, Romona & Beezus, Superfudge, The BFG, Curious George (even though that's always a popular one to get an expectant couple), Madeline, Hank the Cowdog, Junie B. Jones, Go Dog, GO!, The Pokey Little Puppy (fun fact: DH calls me this on a regular basis), and more.

Seriously, some of the absolute best money I've ever spent giving gifts to people/their children. Just wanted to share! I love reminiscing about beloved children's books!

[HouseofWool]

Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, Amelia Bedelia, Angelina Ballerina, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Are You My Mother?, A Fish Out of Water, Nate the Great, Clifford the Big Red Dog (several books from the CTBRD series, but always the first Clifford book), The Berenstain Bears (some of our faves that we try to include are: Too Much Junk Food, The Messy Room, Too Much TV, Get the Gimmes, and a few others I can't think of), Spot Bakes a Cake, How to Eat Fried Worms, Harriet the Spy, Henry & Ribsy, Romona & Beezus, Superfudge, The BFG, Curious George (even though that's always a popular one to get an expectant couple), Madeline, Hank the Cowdog, Junie B. Jones, Go Dog, GO!, The Pokey Little Puppy (fun fact: DH calls me this on a regular basis), and more.

Seriously, some of the absolute best money I've ever spent giving gifts to people/their children. Just wanted to share! I love reminiscing about beloved children's books!

In the same vein: Judy Moody or Stink Moody (girl vs boy), A to Z mysteries, the Berenstein Bears' B Book (I floved that book and can recite it from memory),

[ladymoreta]

One of the first things we bought when I got pregnant with DS was a big stack of kids books!

[WolfpackWife]

One of the first things we bought when I got pregnant with DS was a big stack of kids books!

That's great! I hope, if we decide to have kids, I'm able to foster a love of reading. What are some of your son's faves?

[ladymoreta]

Anything with trains... This includes Green Eggs and Ham, The Little Red Caboose, The Little Engine that Could, a few Thomas books, and some Chuggington books.

Currently we're also loving the Barefoot Books (Driving My Tractor, We All Go Travelling By, and Journey Home from Grandpa's). They're meant to be sung, and they come with a CD. He got two new ones for his birthday. The books are really cute, and the CD has the pictures from the book animated to the music, so it buys me a couple minutes if I need to do something without them underfoot.

DD loves touch and feel books right now. Usborne "That's Not My..." are all favorites. She's also a huge fan of Sandra Boynton and anything with pictures of animals.